Thursday, March 12, 2015

English Language Arts - "Poetry Analysis Activity: Poetry on Parade"

"Poetry, It's elemental, my dears." With this unit, Poetry Analysis Activity:Poetry on Parade, I use this play on the famous quote by Sherlock Holmes to show my middle and high school students that poetry is ever-present in their lives through the music they pipe into their ears.
This is the format that I follow

We listen to some of their music. In the days before I begin this unit, I ask students to bring in their favorite song that I s school-appropriate. Along with the recording, they are to type out the lyrics for me to review.

I choose three-five and make enough copies of the combined choices so each student receives one song. Example - if I choose 3 songs and I have 25 students in my class, I make 8 copies of two songs and one copy of the third selection.

Together, we review review some of the basic elements of poetry. After I write a few terms on the board, such as - Metaphor, Simile, Sensory Imagery, Rhythm and Rhyme- the students jot down an example from another song or from a poem that they know or that they have studied. They initial their response. For rhythm, students with examples of this tap it out on the desk. Each student gets 1 minute to explain his/her example.

Next the students teach one of the poems that I selected for this unit, focusing on one of the elements.

After that, they write a poem that will include any number of the poetic elements we studied, but that focuses on the one that they taught.

The unit culminates with a test on the elements of poetry so the students can show their deeper understanding of these terms.

Use this format as it is, or adapt it to fit the skills, abilities and needs of your students.

This product is aligned with Common Core Standards and Bloom's Taxonomy. In ten pages it includes

Teacher Notes

Complete student directions

A sign up sheet where students select a teacher-chosen poem to prepare a lesson for and to present

An Imagery Activity sheet

A 60 point test with an Answer Key, and

Two rubrics: one for grading the students' analysis of their poem and the other to grade their presentation.

Bonus: both rubrics can be used with any literary analytic essay and any presentation.